Ye Returns to His Hometown of Chicago to Unveil Street Renaming for Mother Donda West
Ye returns to his hometown of Chicago to unveil a street renaming in honor of his mother, Dr. Donda West.
At a street-renaming ceremony on Tuesday (Sept. 22), the Grammy-winning artist honored his late mother by renaming part of 78th Street, located near her former South Shore home, to "Dr. Donda West Way." In a clip, which can be viewed below, Ye made sure he was the one to do the honors of pulling off the cover to unveil the new street sign designated to Dr. Donda West.
Ye did not speak to the media, but he proudly lifted the newly unveiled street sign honoring his late mother before the end of the ceremony. Fellow Chi-city rapper Rhymefest, Alderman Greg Mitchell, who serves Chicago's 7th Ward district, and many other community leaders were in attendance.
Dr. West taught for years at Chicago State University, where she chaired the English Department and founded the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing. She died in November of 2007 from coronary artery disease and multiple postoperative factors following plastic surgery. She was 58.
In 2015, Ye released the solemn ballad "Only One," which was conceived as a message written by his late mother to him. According to Paul McCartney, who is featured on the song, the Yeezy-produced track was inspired by a conversation the two had about a song Paul wrote ("Let It Be") shortly after his mother's death.
Before that, Ye recorded a song called "Hey Mama," which appeared on his 2005 album Late Registration. At the 2008 Grammy Awards, Ye delivered a heartfelt performance of "Hey Mama" in tribute to his mother.
See Ye honor his beloved mother below.
Watch Ye at Street Renaming Ceremony For His Mother Dr. Donda West in Chicago
